The present invention relates to electronic imaging, and in particular, to producing panoramic digital images.
Photographers electronically capturing panoramic images capture a scene as a series of overlapping images. This series of overlapping images represents a greater horizontal field of view, for example, 360 degrees, then could be captured with a single normal photograph.
Digital cameras, such as the Kodak Digital Science DC210(trademark) camera sold by the Eastman Kodak Company, may be used to create 360 degree panoramic images. This is typically done by mounting the digital camera on a stand, such as a tripod, and taking numerous images as the camera is rotated on the stand. Once the desired exposures are taken by rotating the camera, the images are then downloaded from the camera to a host computer via a cable or a removable memory card. A stitching software application, such as PhotoVista(trademark) by LivePicture, may be used to combine the images into a 360 degree panorama. To accomplish this, each image in the set must be individually selected and opened. The software then stitches together the various images to form a panoramic image.
While a professional photographer is able to use the system just described, it is a challenge for a new user to properly perform all the steps. For example, the user may forget to take one of the images at one of the positions, thus leaving a xe2x80x9cgap,xe2x80x9d or may take two pictures at the same position. A novice user may not overlap pictures properly, or may not know how many pictures are required. In addition, if the files from several different sets of 360 degree images are recorded on the same memory card, it may be time consuming for the user to determine which images belong to which set. This is especially problematic if the user fills up a memory card during the middle of a set of images, requiring that a new card be inserted. Also, since the process of taking such sets of images is complex, it is difficult for a new user to understand all of the steps necessary to achieve good results.
Furthermore, to provide a suitable panoramic image, the xe2x80x9cstitchesxe2x80x9d between adjacent images must not be visible. In particular, there should be no brightness or color shift at the xe2x80x9cseamxe2x80x9d between two images. Therefore, it is desirable to maintain the same exposure and color balance settings for multiple exposures. Current digital still cameras typically include automatic exposure (xe2x80x9cAExe2x80x9d) and automatic white balance (xe2x80x9cAWBxe2x80x9d) functions that set the exposure parameters (i.e., the lens f-number, exposure time, and gain) and the AWB separately for each image. Because each picture taken in the panoramic series may have objects with different reflectances and colors, the exposure level and AWB settings are usually slightly different from one picture to the next, as the camera is rotated on the stand. These slight differences are quite noticeable when the images are stitched together, since slight differences in brightness or color are very apparent along the xe2x80x9cseamsxe2x80x9d between two images. As a result, the stitching software must take elaborate steps to adjust the individual images during the stitching operation to minimize the visibility of the seam. This is time consuming and yields imperfect results.
Some digital cameras, such as the Kodak DCS 420(trademark) camera sold by the Eastman Kodak Company, include the ability to manually select the exposure parameters (i.e., the lens f-number and exposure time) and use a xe2x80x9cdefaultxe2x80x9d white balance setting, such as xe2x80x9cdaylight balance,xe2x80x9d so that all images in the series use the same exposure parameters. However, since this is a manual operation, the user-selected exposure and white balance settings may be inappropriate for the scene that is being captured, so that all of the images in the series are, for example, overexposed or too reddish in color.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention for inexperienced digital camera users to quickly and easily produce panoramic digital images while minimizing the manual operations and the chance for errors.
This object is achieved by a method of producing a panoramic digital image, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a digital camera having memory means and which is operable in a first mode for producing individual still digital images, and in a second mode for capturing a series of overlapping digital images to be used in constructing the panoramic digital image;
(b) mounting the digital camera on a stand;
(c) rotating the digital camera on the stand through a series of predetermined positions and operating the digital camera in the second mode to capture the series of overlapping digital images;
(d) storing the series of overlapping digital images corresponding to the panoramic digital image in a predetermined location in the memory means; and
(e) processing the series of stored digital images to stitch such images together to produce the panoramic digital image.
It is a further object of the present invention to capture and produce panoramic digital images having substantially no xe2x80x9cseamsxe2x80x9d between adjacent images caused by exposure or color shifts.
This object is achieved by a method of producing a panoramic digital image, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a digital camera having memory means and which is operable in a first mode for producing individual still digital images, and in a second mode for capturing a series of overlapping digital images to be used in constructing the panoramic digital image, and fixing the white balance and exposure parameters of the digital camera in the second mode after the capture of the first image in the series;
(b) mounting the digital camera on a stand;
(c) rotating the digital camera on the stand through a series of predetermined positions and operating the digital camera in the second mode to capture the series of overlapping digital images;
(d) storing the series of overlapping white balance and exposure fixed digital images corresponding to the panoramic digital image in a predetermined location in the memory means; and
(e) automatically stitching the series of stored overlapping white balanced and exposure fixed digital images together to produce the panoramic digital image.
It is an advantage of the present invention to simplify the capture of panoramic digital images.
It is another advantage of the present invention to capture and produce panoramic digital images with substantially reduced errors.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention to automatically stitch together a series of overlapping digital images stored in a folder once a desired folder has been selected.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to capture and produce panoramic digital images with substantially minimized exposure or color shifts between adjacent images.